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Ricos Grenthyx
Overview Ricos Willem Grenthyx was the second eldest son of Jaekob and Frieda Grenthyx, and twin brother of Wila Grenthyx. As the second son and heir to Chaesterlyn, Ricos was destined by his father to establish a rapport with another significant family in The Continent, which would be the Ruling Family Fyth of Helmont. While his upbringing was less severe than that of his older brother Jaymes, Ricos was still well disciplined by his father. However unlike Jaymes, Ricos was unaware of the intentions of Jaekob. Ricos' upbringing was sheltered which caused him to grow a profound sense of curiosity. In 301 AG, Ricos was sent to Helmont Castle to begin serving as a ward to Gullryth Fyth to be educated of the complexities of foreign regions; when in reality he was unknowingly sent to unify the kingdoms of the Chaestlands and Helmont by marrying someone in the Fyth family, later being determined to be the Distinguished Diaeyne Fyth. Unbeknownst to both Ricos and his father Jaekob, Lady Diaeyne used this to her advantage to seize a greater influence in The Continent. Appearance In 301 AG Ricos was a young man of an athletic build and above average height. His physical appearance was likened to that of the late King Jorjaeryn II Grenthyx. His hair was light brown and worn in an unkempt yet somewhat stylish fashion and he possessed typical Grenthyx copper eyes. Like many Grenthyx men he had a strong, chiseled jawline and nose. He stood at almost six feet tall, which was common for men in his family. Despite taking pride in his appearance, Ricos' timorousness was reflected by his conservative Chaestish dress sense. Unlike most members of House Grenthyx who adorned themselves in green garments, Ricos donned the blue of his maternal House, House Witcher. This was not an act of defiance but rather a signal of appreciation to a familial aspect which is usually forgotten in Chaestish culture. As Patriarch of Helmont, Ricos typically wore formal and lavish clothing and adorned himself with valuable jewellery at the request of Diaeyne. While his wardrobe became predominantly Helmontan in style it still pertained a Chaestish identity with regal embellishments and patterns. In particularly cold weather, Ricos tended to wear a tailor-made grey cloak which mantled his broad shoulders. In private company he would wear light and simple clothing which he felt better expressed himself. Biography Birth Ricos and his twin sister Wila were born to Jaekob Grenthyx and Frieda Witcher in Chaesterlyn, the capital of the Chaestlands in 284 AG. Ricos' birth was a short time after the scare of the Ori Sao Invasion over 282 and 283 AG in C'thardjia so he was initially going to be trained to be a knight of the Chaestlands in preparation of a potential subsequent invasion by the Ori Island. However, Lord Jaekob epiphanised that a similar strategy to this invasion could be utilised for his envisioned conquest of The Continent and so decided that the young Ricos would be better suited as a diplomat or political leader, whilst Jaekob's firstborn heir Jaymes would assume the role of military leader. Early life As a young boy, Ricos was taught by his father that marriage between a man and woman of noble status is necessary for peace and stability, regardless of whether they loved each other. Years later, this would be recalled by an older Ricos in 303 AG when he came of age and it was time to marry Diaeyne Fyth in Helmont. In 295 AG, Ricos and his family visited their relatives in the Opialands. His curiosity having gotten the better of him, Ricos ventured into the surrounding wilderness but found himself lost. When the family noticed Ricos was missing, Jaymes volunteered to try and rescue him, however he was met with an attack from a lone timber wolf. As Jaymes was only twelve years old and inexperienced he was bested by the wolf and dropped his bespoke sword. Ricos continued to fearfully wander the infamous woods until he spotted his older brother being gnawed by the wolf at his ankle, shouting in pain. Ricos noticed that the wolf was an older female due to the fact that it wasn't with a pack. He ran over and picked up Jaymes' sword, banging it against a spruce tree to startle the wolf; he knew this would work as the wolf would be more vulnerable due to its maternal instincts. Jaymes was grateful to his younger brother for saving him but quickly fainted due to loss of blood. Ricos became very afraid as not only did he not know how to get to safety, but he didn't know how he would protect his brother. After wrapping leaves around Jaymes' bloodied ankle, Ricos picked up his brother's sword, Vanquisher, in case he would have to defend himself. It had been what felt to Ricos like a very long time so he started a futile attempt to drag his brother to safety. Ricos became exhausted and decided to rest but started to fall unconscious. While his vision faded, the last thing he remembered seeing was a bear with golden fur, approaching him and staring into him with eyes of copper. The next morning, Ricos awoke in Fort Witcher and was reprimanded by his parents for wandering away from safety. For many years to come, Ricos was haunted by his memories of this event; pondering whether the bear really existed, and if it did, why it chose to save him. From this point onward, Ricos' upbringing from his parents became more strict in an attempt to shelter him from similar dangers and to ensure his safety and security as an adult. His political education from the Pedagogue of Chaesterlyn, Tulima Bendai, became much more intensive as well. From the age of 14, Ricos began to experiment sexually with girls his age from nearby towns and villages. He kept this a secret from his family but talked about it openly with his friends. His friends pressured him into visiting a local brothel, which he did, but made the decision to leave before he did something he would regret. Departure from Chaesterlyn Wardship at Helmont In 301 AG, Ricos traveled to Helmont Castle via carriage along with a group of sworn protectors of House Grenthyx to begin his wardship. After a fortnight of travelling, Ricos was greeted by Gullryth and Bellryth Fyth outside the castle. He was warmly accepted by the Matriarch and Patriarch as a ward to the family, but had a mixed reception from their heirs. While most were indifferent to Ricos' arrival, Ainoux Fyth greeted Ricos politely and Shanryth Fyth remarked that he was "adorable". Ricos felt attracted towards Shanryth but kept it to himself. He also noticed similar, albeit more subtle, feelings towards Ainoux however dismissed and ignored them. It wasn't until a few hours later that he met Diaeyne Fyth, whom treated him very politely in order to gain his favour. While the family had been mostly accommodating, he was not shown around the castle and didn't know the whereabouts of his own chambers. This caused Ricos to mistakenly enter the chambers of Ainoux and witness him in the nude. Ricos immediately hid due to the humiliating nature of the situation and thought that he felt disgusted by what he had seen; however he soon realised that he was instead aroused. Ricos had felt curious about relations with other men before but usually dismissed his thoughts due to the expectations of his family. Ricos was in denial and refused to see Ainoux for a time until he was approached by the boy in a corridor. Ainoux spoke to Ricos about how he felt like the latter was avoiding him and asked why, to which Ricos nervously explained himself, telling Ainoux that he was frightened by his unusual emotions; he'd always known of same-sex relationships but never fathomed that he would have these thoughts himself, as he felt attracted to Ainoux's elder sister, Shanryth. Ainoux understood Ricos' situation and explained to him that it is natural and that he is attracted to men himself, but only men and not women. Ainoux also remarked that he had seen his sister with female partners on certain occasions. Ricos was comforted by Ainoux but requested some time alone as he needed to adjust to his new feelings. A few days later, Ricos had been trying to distract himself but his mind was inundated by sexual thoughts of Ainoux, which caused him to realise his desire for him. Ricos and Ainoux later had an encounter in the Cloister Courtyard. Ricos explained his feelings and desires; Ainoux then admitted that he had an attraction to the Chaestish Heir and the two shared an experimental kiss in the courtyard. They went somewhere more private to engage in more intimate affairs, but once they were finished Ricos remarked that he had made a mistake, exclaiming that he is "Heir to Chaesterlyn and destined to marry a woman; a lady; to continue the family line," and denied his true feelings. Ainoux was disappointed and they argued about it but eventually the two agree to remain friends. Weeks later, Diaeyne expressed to Ricos her desire to marry him; not for love but for reaffirmation of their families' strong relationship. Ricos realised that this would be an opportunity to fulfill his father's compulsion for him to marry someone of high status (as she was then sister of the then would-be patriarch, Pyter Fyth) as well as deny his sexual desire towards men. Ricos accepted Diaeyne's proposal and Diaeyne gleefully announced it to the rest of the family during the feast that evening, to Ainoux's chagrin. Unbeknownst to Ricos, this would set in motion Diaeyne's treasonous scheme to gain power. Ainoux confronted Ricos about this odd decision, arguing with him that he shouldn't make such rash choices. Ricos disagrees and Ainoux questions telling Ricos about his torment and abuse from Diaeyne years earlier, but finds it too difficult to mention, leaving Ricos unaware of the true nature of his wife-to-be. Later in 301 AG, following the events surrounding the assassination of Pyter Fyth and the Invasion of Ephellindron, Ricos began to feel disappointed of the death of Pyter Fyth as it would mean he would likely have to be Patriarch of Helmont, something he didn't feel he was anywhere near ready for. While pondering this, Ricos then caught wind of Diaeyne's plot and thus confronted her about it, threatening to break off their marriage proposal. Diaeyne was amused and lectured to Ricos that he was only a pawn in her great scheme and that the chaos of the invasion was at her fingertips. She then threatened to have Ricos' twin sister, Wila, who she knew was in Ephellindron at the time, murdered by a bounty hunter who had previously set the invasion in motion by assassinating Diaeyne's elder brother, Pyter. Enraged, Ricos condemned and insulted Diaeyne but reluctantly agreed to remain betrothed to her in order to protect his sister. It was after this that Ricos would reconnect with Ainoux, as the two would meet to discuss Diaeyne's misdeeds. After the conclusion of the invasion, Ricos' sister Wila penned him a letter elaborating of her survival and current situation which she sent to Helmont in hopes of reuniting with her brother. Unbeknownst to Wila, Diaeyne Fyth had every letter delivered to Helmont Castle screened by her Handmaidens. The letter was forwarded to Diaeyne who swiftly had the letter burned knowing that Ricos would flee Helmont if he discovered that his sister was safe which would cause Diaeyne to lose a considerable amount of influence as well as risk having Ricos reveal confidential information of hers. Ricos remained unsure of his sister Wila's whereabouts or if she was even alive for the remainder of his time at Helmont. Ricos grew increasingly bitter towards Diaeyne during their engagement, but in 302 AG experimented with hallucinogenic herbs in an attempt to dull his pain. Diaeyne was informed through her Handmaiden "grapevine" that Ricos was abusing substances and was infuriated by his carelessness. In a blind rage she rushed to Ricos' chambers and physically assaulted him with a blunt object, injuring his shin. Despite being badly hurt, Ricos managed to rise back to his feet while Diaeyne was vigorously pouring herself a goblet of wine to calm down. He violently shoved Diaeyne into the table, spilling Chaestish Red Wine onto the wall and floor. Diaeyne felt shocked that someone would attack her like this and began crying as the situation reminded her of when she was violated as a girl. Ricos felt remorse and tried to reach to Diaeyne, asking her about his sister but she, in tears and laying on the floor, insisted that Wila was in captivity and threatened to have her killed if Ricos ever struck her again. Ricos repeatedly attempted to draw the truth from her but Diaeyne's answer did not change. She recomposed herself and started explaining to Ricos that Wila wasn't that important and their unity was more important for the sake of their families, to which Ricos responded that Wila was his family. Diaeyne left the room to return to her own chambers, leaving Ricos to ponder over the true fate of his twin sister. He tried to hope that Wila was alive and well but couldn't convince himself due to his depression and concluded that she had died which comforted him more than believing that she was still suffering under Diaeyne. Because of this, Ricos secretly returned to drug use to ease his senses. Despite having no real reason to remain in Helmont anymore, Ricos stayed as he deemed that it would be pointless to go anywhere else and assumed that Diaeyne would probably have him assassinated. After hearing of Ricos' situation, Ainoux directed Ricos to the Helmont Library, realising he must have nothing to do in order to have resorted to drug use. Ricos was glad to see Ainoux properly for once since Berin Underbridge had arrived in Helmont but knew not to dwell on it too much as he understood that Ainoux had little time for him. While spending copious amounts of time in the library, Ricos delved into the works of various historical scholars such as Forkoux Fyth, Harolde Silversmith and Jorjaeryn III Grenthyx, often reading their scrolls on corresponding subjects simultaneously to gauge the varying views and simulate a discussion between the scholars to himself, which he found entertained him in times of despair. Patriarchy of Helmont In 303 AG, Ricos and Diaeyne Fyth married and were soon officially voted in by Helmontan aristocrats as the new Patriarch and Matriarch of Helmont. Unlike all other ruling members of the Fyth family, Ricos did not adopt the prestigious Fyth name as an agreed gesture to emphasise the union between House Grenthyx and the family. Ricos and Diaeyne were a popular match mainly due to the previous war effort of Helmont and the Chaestlands against Ephellindron, however controversy arose among Helmontans due to the fact that two years prior, the Queen of Ephellindron, Theryse Rafter, was executed abruptly by Grenthyx forces despite protests from then-Patriarch Gullryth Fyth; although this was largely ignored by many outside of Helmont. While Patriarch, Ricos attempted to use his wealth and status to help others in need. He elected to provide aid to Ephellindronians who had been affected by the war in 301 AG, as many had been injured, displaced or gone missing, in an attempt to not only make amends for his family's doings but also to have a positive influence. However, Ricos' suggestions were frequently vetoed by Diaeyne, who believed them to be a waste of time and effort. During a meeting of The Charter of the People, Ricos spoke out against Diaeyne in front of the other representatives in response to her perceived incompetence and disregard of important issues in favour of menial and superficial acts. After the meeting concluded, Diaeyne scolded Ricos for humiliating and undermining her in front of the representatives and then unofficially barred him from attending future meetings. Feigning anger, Ricos felt pleased that he was able to get under Diaeyne's skin. Ricos developed a dry sense of wit and used it to embarrass Diaeyne on further occasions. Escape from Helmont Return to the Chaestlands Rebellion Family Category:Characters Category:Chaestlands Character Category:LGBTQ+ Category:Rulers